I Get Bored Walking Around The House

So yesterday, just another day in the Covid 19 era. Checked for anything new or interesting on the internet, listened to a few videos, went for a walk, checked the internet for anything new or interesting, puttered around down in the basement, checked out to see what the weather was like on the Weather Channel, checked the internet for anything new or interesting, walked around the house, read, looked out the window and of course I checked the internet for anything new or interesting.

I am starting to notice a pattern of sorts. Speaking of patterns, when I was checking out the internet I stumbled upon designs for making my own face mask. I know what you might be thinking, “Ken you idiot don’t you know that facemasks aren’t very useful especially the kind that you would make at home.” Okay, valid point, but if I made my own I would have a face mask and I could wear it around the house and when I look out the window which would freak the neighbours out. I already made a Zorro type mask, but it doesn’t keep viruses away, only Spanish overlords. I will put the mask idea on hold for now.

In one of the walks around the house I noticed there were two partial bowls of grapes that were wrinkled and ready for the compost. Earlier I had been staring into the freezer wondering if a tub of ice cream would magically appear when I noticed a baggie filled with some of last years rhubarb crop. It is about this time each year when I toss the frozen baggies of rhubarb into the compost bin. Who needs freezer burnt rhubarb when in a month or so there will be a new crop poking up from the ground? For over a year now there has been a one pound bag of Demerara sugar in the basement that was more cement like than sugar like. I have been thinking for months that I should toss it into the compost bin but thought “What if a global pandemic hits and I need rock hard Demerara sugar to survive?” Needless to say it is better to be safe than sorry.

It is said that if life gives you lemons then you should make lemonade. Well, I didn’t have lemons but I did have wrinkled grapes, some freezer burnt rhubarb and plenty of rock hard Demerara sugar, so I made jam. I have made jam in the past with rhubarb and strawberry combinations and even made some grape jam (it didn’t turn out so well) so I have all the equipment needed for the operation. God knows I had the time.

Fast forward and hour or so and I now have three jars of what we are calling Raisin-Rhubarb jam. Louise and I both licked a spoon and it tasted pretty good. Really anything that is half sugar can’t be all bad. Louise did mention that it had a subtle taste of raisins and after trying it on toast I have to agree with her. Not an unpleasant taste, but it reminds me of days before I was born when people made do with what was on hand. Perhaps we should call it the Corona 19 Raisin-Rhubarb jam. There is a product that people will avoid in droves.

Will I do it again?…probably not unless I get bored walking around the house.

Roll up the Rim

I suppose that if you live long enough, everything changes. I have lived long enough to be in the midst of change almost constantly. Some things (most) change for the good, some seem to change just because people are ready for a change to anything but what we had. Some change for the worst, and some things that changed for the better will eventually swing back from where they had come from. I don’t particularly like change but change doesn’t seem to give a rat’s ass what I like or don’t like.

            If you take the time to read all of my blogs over the years you will find that I mentioned Tim Horton’s coffee shop in 69 of them. In twelve blogs I have mentioned the contest/promotion  they have every year called Roll Up The Rim. You can win cars, bicycles, TV’s and millions of coffees, donuts and other food items that they sell. Well, you can win cars, bicycles and TV’s, but all I have ever won is coffee and donuts. I am a simple man with simple tastes, so I am good with small prizes every now and then. It gives me the feeling that I have been born under a lucky star. Well, until this year.

 

            It turns out that since the profits that Tim Horton’s parent company made last year were less than expected (one percent less) the powers that be decided that the Roll Up The Rim promotion was dated and didn’t appeal to the younger generation. I think that means that the younger generation have to take their attention away from their phones and use their thumbs to roll up a rim. I’ve read that one of the programs Tim’s honchos are toying with is an earned point program which can be redeemed for product. It just doesn’t seem that it would be nearly as much fun as the thrill of rim rolling.

            Everything is about profit and increasing that profit every year. You can’t maximise profit if you are giving merchandise away.

            I will survive…probably.

            I don’t know what I am going to do with my “rim roller”, it is a very, very, very specific tool. I guess that now it will become one of those things that the future generations will look at and wonder what it could have been for and why on earth we needed to roll up rims anyways.

 

            An era has ended and for me a little joy has left the world. I can still get paper cups somewhere and whenever I feel the urge I will just Roll up the Rim and give myself a coffee.